Mechanical musical instrument



(No Model.)

M. A. WIER.

MECHANICAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

No. 329,419. Patented Oct. 27, 1885.

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MARSHALLARTHUR XVIER, OF UPPER NORVVOOD, COUNTY OF SURREY, ENGLAND.

MECHANICAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part; of Letters Patent No. 329,419, dated October 27,1885.

Application filed November 4, 1884. Serial No. 148,044. (No model.) Patented in England January 1, 1884, No. 19.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, MARsHALL ARTHUR WIER,ofUpperNorwood,in the county ofSurrey, England, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Musical Instruments, of which the following is a specification.

Letters Patent embodying this improvement have been heretofore granted to me in Great Britain under date of January 1, 1884, and numbered 19.

I will describe in detail a musical instrument embodying my improvement, and then point out the novel features in claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of a musical instrument embodying my improvement, certain parts being removed. Fig. 1 is a vertical section of the same. Fig. 2 is a plan View showing a modification of my improvement, a portion being broken away; and Fig. 2 is a vertical section thereof.

In ,the example of my improvement shown in Figs. 1 and 1, A designates a cylindric holder or chest. Said holder is preferably open at the bottom, and has a cover, K, fitted upon its upper end, and secured thereto by any suitable means. Said holder acts as a sounder. It is supported upon a shaft or arbor, D, extending diametrically through the same near its upper end, and journaled in suitable bearings therein. Upon one of the outwardly-extending ends of the shaft or arbor D is affixed a handle, E. Within the holder A the shaft D has arranged upon it wheels F G. The wheel F is fast upon said shaft or arbor, but the wheel G may turn freely thereon.

O designates a disk mounted centrally upon a pin or stud which is affixed at one end, by screw-threads or otherwise, to a plate, B,which is fast in the holder A, and at the other is bent about the shaft or arbor D and forms a loop, II. This disk may rotate freely about the pin or stud. Upon its under side the disk 0 is provided with a hub, I, arranged about said pin or stud. By this means the disk 0 is held at a distance above the plate B, and the disk is steadied and maintained in a horizontal position. Upon the upper side of said disk, near its periphery, is a circumferential rim. The wheels F and G bear or rest upon this rim. The wheel F acts as a driver for imparting motion to the disk, but the wheel G is an idle-wheel, and serves simply to steady or balance the shaft or arbor D. Arranged circumferentially upon the plate B is a se ries of sound-producing devices, here shown as consisting of reeds, which are rigidly secured at one ofits ends to said plate by rivets or otherwise. These reeds are adapted to vibrate through slits or apertures in the plate B. Said reeds are operated by means of a picker, L, which is secured by any suitable means to the hub or upon the under side of the disk 0. The upper surface of said picker is inclined in the direction of the circumference of the disk 0; or, in other words, said picker is wedge shaped in the direction of its width.

In operating this example of my improvement the handle E is grasped tightly, and the holder or chest A is rotated about the shaft or arbor D. The wheel F then operates as a friction-wheel upon the rim upon the disk 0, before referred to, and causes the disk 0 to rotate, carrying with it the picker L. The reed beneath which the picker is passing is caused,by means of the inclined surface on the picker, to move upward until the picker completely passes beneath it, when it suddenly springs downward, and is thereby caused to vibrate and produce sound. The picker passes beneath the reeds one after the other.

In the example of my improvement shown in Figs. 2 and 2, A designates a plate, preferably of metal, upon which are arranged a series of sound-producing devices, here shown as reeds. Said reeds are arranged in two rows, and are secured at one of their ends to the plate A by rivets or otherwise. These reeds are adapted to vibrate through slits or apertures in the plate A. p

B is a screw shaft or arbor, shown as journaled near its ends in bearings upon a chest, E, constituting a holder for the plate A and the reeds. Said shaft or arbor may be re tated by means of a handle, F.

D designates a nut arranged about the shaft or arbor B. Afiixed to said nut in any suitable manner are pickers D. Said pickers have upon their upper sides inclined surfaces.

The inclination of said surfaces is in a direction parallel to the length of the shaft or arbor B; or, in other words, said pickers are wedge-shaped in the direction of their idth. The inclination upon one of the pickers extends in a reverse direction from that upon the other. The pickers D are arranged to op erate in conjunction one with each of the rows of reeds, and when one of the pickersisin op eration with the reeds in one row the other of said pickers is not in a position to operate the reeds in the other row, because when being rotated in one direction one of the pickers D, through the resistance which the nut 0 offers to a rotary motion occasioned by the friction exerted upon it by the shaft or arbor B, is held firmly down against the plate A, while the other of said pickers is held in a position above the plate A and the reeds.

In this example of my improvement the holder or chest Eis rectangular. It is hollow, and incloses the parts above described. When the instrument is in use,the holder or chestE operates asa sounder. It is intended that one set or series of reeds shall produce one tune or series of notes, and the other of said series or sets of reeds another. Obviously, therefore, one of said sets of reeds and one of the pickers D may be omitted, if desired.

In operating this instrument the handle F is grasped tightly and the holder or chest E swung or rotated about the screw shaft or arbor B. By this means the nut D is caused to move along upon the screw shaft or arbor B, carrying with it the pickers D, one of which passes beneath the reeds in one of the rows one after the other. The reed beneath which the picker D is passing is caused, by means of the inclined surface on the picker, to move upward until the picker completely passes beneath it, when it suddenly springs downwardly, and is thereby caused to vibrate and produce sound. By rotating the chest or holder in a reverse direction a similar operation takes place between the other picker and set of reeds.

Instead of using the friction-gearing described in Figs. 1 and 1 for imparting motion to the picker, I may use a worm on the shaft or arbor and a worm-wheel on or affixed to the picker.

WVhat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a musical instrument, a shaft or arbor, sound-producing devices, and a picker for setting them into vibration, all being combined and organized substantially as described, whereby a relative movement between the sound-producing devices and picker may be effected, and the picker will set the sound-producing devices in vibration one after another.

2. Inamusical instrument,a shaft or arbor, sound-producing devices, and a picker for setting them into vibration, all being combined and organized substantially as described, whereby a relative rotary motion between the shaft or arbor and picker will cause the picker to travel past the sound-producing devices successively and effect their vibration.

3. In a musical instrument,ashaft or arbor, sound-producing devices, a holder therefor, and a picker for setting them into vibration, all being combined and organiz d substantially as described,whereby a relative movement between the sound producing devices and picker may be effected, and the picker will set the sound-producing devices into vibration one after another.

4. In a musical instrument, ashaft or arbor, sound-producing devices, a revolving holder therefor, and a picker for setting them into vibration, all being combined and organized substantially as described, whereby a relative movement between the sound-producing devices and picker may be effected, and the picker will set the sound-producing devices into vibration one after another.

5. In a musical instrument, ashaft or arbor, sound-producing devices, a chest containing the sound-produei11g-devices, and apicker for setting them into vibration, all being combined andorganizedsubstantiallyas described, whereby a relative movement between the soundproducing devices and picker may be effected, and the picker will set the soundproducing devices into vibration one after another.

6. In a musical instrument, soundproducing devices arranged in a circle, and a traveling pickerfor setting them into vibration one after another, substantially as specified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed my name, in presence of two witnesses,this 6th day of September, 1884.

MARSHALL ARTHUR IER. lVitnesses:

J. WATT, HERBERT E. DALE,

Both 0f 17 Gracccharch Street, London. 

